National draft looming small for most clubs

GREATER Western Sydney aside, few clubs are planning to play a significant part in next month's national draft, meaning only around 65 fresh players may come into the system next year.

While Geelong and Fremantle expect to make five or six selections, most clubs are intending to take their minimum three, and some will take just two ''live'' picks, using a rookie upgrade to meet their quota.

St Kilda's draft plan will hinge on how many players the club decides to delist, with the club needing to sort through its salary cap issues in the next few weeks, but the Saints may take five or six picks, too. The trade period left the Saints with six picks inside 70.

Clubs are holding out until next year's draft, with many promoting rookies and making minimal delistings, with the 2012 draft crop already considered highly talented and of great depth.

The Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions are planning on four selections as well as rookie upgrades, but the likes of Collingwood, North Melbourne and Richmond will pick just two fresh players and Gold Coast only one.

After dominating last year's draft ahead of their debut season, the Suns will make just one live selection, having committed to local zone players Alex Sexton and Jackson Allen.

The Suns spent the last hour of the trade period trying to ''sell'' their mid-order draft picks so that they could move as far as possible into the first round. After swapping packages of picks with Geelong and Richmond, they finished up with first-round pick No. 24.

Geelong's five selections will include father-son draftee Jed Bews, while Carlton's three picks will include Dylan Buckley.

The number of total selections made could be around 72-75, not including upgraded rookies, so if a handful of delisted players are given a fresh chance, the number of first-time draftees could drop back to the mid to high 60s.

Greater Western Sydney's busy trade period saw it add two more first-round selections to an already large pile of them. The Giants now hold the first five selections in the draft, and 11 of the first 14 picks. They also have pick 56, but may well be done by then.

Their dominance of the early order may, however, help the clubs holding picks from around 15-20. To ensure it gets a variety of player types, GWS may have to pick one or two tall players a little earlier than they would normally be drafted.

This may mean a few good midfielders get pushed down the order to clubs like Richmond, the Dockers, the Bulldogs and Essendon.

Monster forward Jonathon Patton, midfielders Stephen Coniglio and Dom Tyson and defender Matthew Buntine appear likely top-five picks, while the Giants may choose ruckman Billy Longer in the top five to keep him out of Port Adelaide's clutches.

Onballers Chad Wingard, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Toby Greene also appear in top eight or 10 contention, with the likes of onballers Liam Sumner, Elliott Kavanagh and Devon Smith, talls Adam Tomlinson, Shane Kersten and Nic Haynes and running back Sam Docherty also around the top 12-14 mark.

The draft will be held in western Sydney on the Thursday night of November 24, with the preseason and rookie drafts to take place on December 13.